Song · The Band
“I Shall Be Released” by The Band
From the album Music From Big Pink (1968)
“I Shall Be Released” by The Band appears on 3 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2009 and 2026. It was first released in 1968 on the album Music From Big Pink. Its best result is #410 on the WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,367 indie & aaa song of all time.
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Bob Dylan wrote "I Shall Be Released" in 1967, and The Band turned it into a hymn of their own on Music from Big Pink, the debut album they put out in July 1968. Richard Manuel sings lead, with Rick Danko and Levon Helm leaning in on the chorus harmonies, and the playing is all Big Pink: Manuel on piano, Garth Hudson on organ, Robbie Robertson on guitar, Danko on bass, Helm on drums. John Simon produced it with the group, with Don Hahn and Tony May engineering.
The song stayed with them to the end. Live takes turned up on Before the Flood in 1974, and it came near the close of The Last Waltz, their 1976 farewell show, with the night's performers, Muddy Waters aside, crowding one stage alongside Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 410 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) | 885 |
| 2020 | 1901 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2026 | 876 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
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